


I Touched Eternity (and she gave me you)

by Atlanta_Black



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, Female Tom Riddle, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Sorry Not Sorry, Tasmine Riddle, Time Travel, badass Hermione, eldritch being, kind of, timeline Travel, too impatient for a beta, we stan hermione granger in this house
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-01-26 15:47:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21376588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atlanta_Black/pseuds/Atlanta_Black
Summary: His eyes aren't twinkling.She's not sure when they stopped. Maybe after she had stormed into his office without knocking, wand out and teeth bared.Maybe, after she had snarled at him and askedDoes Harry know? Does he know what you're planning for him?Maybe after she squared her shoulders and saidNo. You don't get to make this decision. You don't get to tell him that he has to die for this war.She doesn’t know but his eyes aren't twinkling and he looks graver than she's ever seen him....AKA Hermione figures out that Harry's a horcrux in sixth year, confronts Dumbledore and shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Tom Riddle
Comments: 15
Kudos: 142
Collections: Tomarrymort Live Writes





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [local_doom_void](https://archiveofourown.org/users/local_doom_void/gifts).

> So this came about because I was complaining about how weak Hermione seems to always be in Hermione/Tom stories. And I was trying to contemplate the best time for her to get thrown back in time so that her immediate instinct upon meeting Tom isn't _murder_
> 
> So you get this. What better time to meet a version of Tom than right after she learns that Dumbledore is planning on letting Harry die for the war. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> This is being gifted to Kit because she helped me come up with the title and also cheered me on as I was writing!

His eyes aren't twinkling. 

She's not sure when they stopped. Maybe after she had stormed into his office without knocking, wand out and teeth bared. 

Maybe, after she had snarled at him and asked _ Does Harry know? Does he know what you're planning for him? _

Maybe after she squared her shoulders and said _ No. You don't get to make this decision. You don't get to tell him that he has to die for this war. _

She doesn’t know but his eyes aren't twinkling and he looks graver than she's ever seen him. 

"My dear girl, I'm sure you understand the predicament we're in. If Harry continues to keep the horcrux that's in him then we run the risk of Voldemort never truly being gone." he says, voice soothing, fingers loosely curled around his wand. 

His eyes are still cold. 

"Then find a way to get it out of him." she snaps, fighting the irrational urge to start backing up towards the door. "He's _ not _ going to die for this war." 

Dumbledore hums, considering her over the rim of his glasses. "Tell me, have you told Harry about this yet? About the horcrux inside of him?" 

She hesitates, the words caught in her throat. "I haven't, not yet." she says, rolls each word off her tongue carefully. She feels as if she's just made a mistake.

He hums again, gaze steady and eyes still cold. She's beginning to regret not telling Harry before she stormed up here. She doesn't want to call it fear but there's something uncomfortable crawling down her spine. She really doesn't want to call it fear. Doesn't want to believe that Dumbledore is a threat to her. 

He waves his wand suddenly, lips moving but voice so quiet that she can't hear what he says. She stiffens, fear racing down her spine. Regardless of what she wants to feel, she is suddenly very afraid. Suddenly very aware, that no one knows where she went or why. She knows that authority figures can’t be trusted. Knows that better now at sixteen than she ever has before. Knew when she stormed up here that Dumbledore was planning Harry’s death as casually as he planned everything else. 

Yet still, still she stormed up here. Still she let her blind trust of authority blind her to the danger she was charging straight into. 

There's a blue light suddenly floating in front of her. It's perfectly round and small enough that she could close her entire hand around it. The light it's putting off is soft. The same color as Ron's eyes or Lavender's favorite eyeshadow or the ribbon Ginny braids through her hair when she's dressing up. 

It floats there in front of her as she tears her eyes away to look back up at Dumbledore. He’s _ still _staring at her, face cold in the glow of the blue light. The light is the same shade as his eyes too she notes absently. Except his eyes are a cold, icy color. A sharp contrast to the softness of the light in front of her. 

"Sir, what is this?" she asks, proud of how steady her voice is despite how uncomfortable she is. 

"A test." he says, finger tapping out a rhythm against the desk. The noise is sharp and loud in the quiet of the office. "I want you to touch the light Miss Granger and afterwards, we will discuss other ways to get the horcrux out of Harry." his voice is absent of any emotion and he seems just as enthralled by light as she is.

"What kind of test?" she asks, wishing that he would stop tapping his fingers.

"Nothing bad Miss Granger. Just trust me and touch it." 

Strangely enough, she doesn't find that soothing at all. Still, she doesn't think she has much of a choice. Isn't sure she'll be allowed to leave without touching the strange light. 

She takes a shallow breath and reaches out a shaking hand. She can feel a slight warmth radiating from the light and sends up a silent prayer to whoever is listening. Please let this actually be as harmless as he says it is. 

Her hand closes around the light and she watches as it disappears under her skin. 

It doesn’t burn, doesn’t feel like anything. If she hadn’t watched it disappear under her skin she wouldn’t even know it was there. When she opens her hand again she can see the blue light moving under her skin. Can see it moving up, through her veins. She turns her hand over, watches the light spread farther. Watches it travel until she’s glowing and looks less human, more otherworldly being. Looks up and finds Dumbledore watching her with an expectant look. 

For a moment they stare at each other, the silence deafening. Maybe this is it she thinks. Maybe that's the test. 

And then white hot fire shoots from her hands, to her head, to her legs and she crumples to the floor, a scream ripping it’s way out of her.

There's this long drawn out moment where the only thing that she can register is pain. Is the fire blazing through her veins. A moment where she almost forgets that she's human for it seems as if she must be nothing but fire. Must be nothing but this burning pain. 

The back of her eyelids are red and when she opens her eyes the world looks blue. The same shade of blue as the light that had burned through her. Is still burning through her. 

She doesn't know how long this lasts. Isn't sure how long she screams before her throat becomes too dry to scream. She finds herself wondering absently if her hair is on fire. If she isn't kneeling on the floor, flames cascading down her back. Wonders if she was ever really human. 

She doesn't know how long she has been burning, screaming, sobbing but suddenly, out of nowhere she is cool. The fire is gone and she lays there on the floor, sobbing. The coolness of the air and the beat of her heart feels wrong. Feels as if she should still be burning. Feels as if she was never human and has been forced into a body too small for the pain still holding tight to her bones. 

_ You play with things you shouldn't Albus Dumbledore _

She's still sobbing and it takes her a moment to realize that the voice has come from her. The voice sounds like the wind, like the sea. Like every inevitability she's ever faced yet none of them at all. Like the first time Ron genuinely smiled at her and the last time Harry hugged her. Sounds like everyone she’s ever loved. 

_ You've gone too far this time. _ The voice is still coming from her. The feel of it ice cold against her throat and she swallows around it. Relishing the feeling of coolness against the rawness of her throat.

She's beginning to gain an awareness of her surroundings again. Although she's still shaking, still crying. Her eyes finally focus again, the blue haze receding and her first thought is _ oh shit _. Dumbledore is staring at her, rage written all over his face. She's not sure she's ever seen him angry but his eyes are burning and she's never regretted a decision so much in her life. 

"Who are you?" he demands, voice carrying through the room. 

For a wild moment she thinks he's addressing her but then the cool feeling begins creeping up her throat again. 

_ We’ve met once before Albus Dumbledore. Who I truly am is of no concern to you. I am only here to tell you that you will regret this. _

"You're threatening me?" he asks, voice incredulous. "I could kill her right now. Would you show yourself to me then?"

Her breath freezes in her throat and her heart is racing so fast she's surprised it hasn't beaten its way right out of her chest. 

_ You will not hurt the child. She has a greater role to play than you ever will. _

His eyes go hard and he starts to rise but before he can do more than press his hands against the desk a force pushes him back down. 

_ You were warned once before to not play with powers you do not understand. You didn't listen and so now this life is being taken away from you. Congratulations Albus Dumbledore on being the reason this timeline gets destroyed. _

She chokes suddenly, the cool feeling is pressing against her throat as if trying to escape and before she can do more than gag there's a ghostly blue figure stepping out of her body. 

The figure is the same shade of blue as the light that had burned through her and she fights down the instinctive reaction to flinch away. The figure is human shaped but there are no features, only light. 

_ Come Hermione Granger. Greater things await you and your chosen ones. _ The figure extends its hand and there's a moment where Hermione just stares. 

Stares and tries to think past the pain and the panic still coating her brain. She looks past the figure and meets Dumbledore’s stare. His eyes are filled with a rage so cold it makes her breath stutter. She breathes in, lets the breath fill her up and takes the figures hand. 

The last things she registers before the world begins spinning is that blessed coolness racing through her body again and Dumbledore’s furious face. 

_ Good. Good. I hope you fucking choke to death on your anger _ she thinks. Clutches that anger close as the world spins around her.

.

.

.

She hits the ground with a thud, all of the breath knocked out of her immediately. 

The sky is blue and she is outside. She can feel the grass underneath her and the sky is a bright, clear blue. 

She takes a moment to just lay there and stare at it. Mentally reviewing her body and the events that had just happened at a dizzying rate. 

Her entire body aches. Considering how hard she just hit the ground she'll be thankful if the only thing she has is bruises. 

Her throat still feels raw and her skin still feels too tight. All things considered, it could be worse. The memory of the fire burning through her still causes her chest to tighten with leftover panic but she thinks she may have felt worse after the battle at the ministry last year. So really, Dumbeldore hadn't even managed to hurt her as badly as a lowly Death Eater. How pathetic. 

The sky is blue. It had been late when she had gone up to Dumbledore's office. It had been late and she had been inside. But the sky is blue and the sun is shining and she is very much outside. 

_ the reason this timeline gets destroyed _

Those words are bouncing around inside her skull and she finds she really doesn't want to get up and see what the world around her is like. She doesn't know who the voice belonged to. Doesn't know why it seemed to have singled her out. 

The list of things she doesn't know is annoyingly long and is already giving her a headache. 

She doesn't know why Dumbledore seemingly tried to murder her when he is supposed to be the pardigm of good but she also doesn't care about that one. He tried to murder her. He had plans to let Harry die for his war. 

He can burn for all she cares. Actually, she thinks it would be a nice bit of poetic justice if he did burn.

She raises one arm above her and stretches. Does the same for the other. It hurts but it isn't unbearable. 

"I hate Albus Dumbledore." the words roll of her tongue easily even if her voice does still sound hoarse. She hums quietly. Finds it's quite easy to hate him after he had her sobbing on the floor of his office. 

She sits up slowly, hissing out a pained breath when her body protests. She is definitely bruising. Now that she's sitting up she can see that she's on the side of the lake farthest from the castle. Hogwarts looms in the distance, looking as beautiful and majestic as always. 

At first glance, everything looks the same. The castle still stands the same as always and the lake is stretched out before her. Water dark and ominous. 

At second glance the whomping willow is nowhere in sight. She scans the grounds carefully but it's not where it should be. There's a turret missing from a tower on the right. Small details but details that make her want to just lay back down on the ground. 

"I'm going to murder Albus Dumbledore." she announces to the air, rolling her shoulders carefully. Finds that she quite likes the finality of using his full name in damning sentences. 

"Will you marry me first?" 

The amused voice comes from behind her and she flinches, twisting around to look behind. How stupid of her to have not checked behind herself. 

There's a girl sitting behind her, back against a tree, legs crossed. She has a book in her lap and is staring at Hermione with amusement dancing through her eyes. Her hair is long and inky black, falling around her shoulders in waves and framing a pale face that has the barest smattering of freckles across it. Her eyes though, her eyes are blue. The same soft shade of blue as the light that had brought her here.

"Who are you?" she demands, grateful that she can feel her wand digging into her thigh. 

The girl smiles, teeth gleaming white against the red staining her lips. Hermione stares, finds herself absently considering how proud her parents would have been of the girls teeth. 

"I do feel that I should be asking you that question, considering that you just appeared out of thin air. But you've already been so delightful that I'll indulge you. My name is Tasmine Riddle. Who are you?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! I did it! I finished the second chapter. 
> 
> I am realizing that Hermione may seem weak in this so far but uhh, in her defense, she was literally tortured and then flung through dimensions rather roughly. She also really did hit the ground fucking hard. Like, if either of them look at her back, it's basically just one giant bruise. 
> 
> She really just needs to take like a hot bath and sleep tbh and she'll feel much better. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy!! <3

_ Tasmine Riddle _ . A girl who by all rights should not exist and should absolutely not be sitting in front of Hermione with delighted eyes.

There’s a moment where white hot rage flashes through her body and it’s almost as if she’s back on the office floor, burning from the inside out. A moment where she looks at this girl and sees Tom Riddle. Sees only the person who destroyed Harry’s life. 

It’s only a moment and then the girl, Tasmine, leans forward, a hungry gleam entering her eyes. 

“You know who I am.” Tasmine murmurs, voice low and sweet. 

“I hate you.” The words slip out before she can think. She’s just realized that if this is a new world, then Harry and Ron are gone. The knowledge clings to her heart, to her bones and she wishes she’d never sat up. Wishes she had spent the rest of her life lying on the ground. 

Tasmine snickers, throws her head back and laughs. Her hair shimmers inky black in the sunlight and Hermione wonders absently if Tom Riddle’s hair had been that color. A black so deep it looks as if it’s swallowing the light. 

“You’re funny.” Tasmine says gleefully, hands clenched tight around her book. “But compared to how you snarled Dumbledore’s name, you’ll have to forgive me if I find it hard to take you seriously.” 

Hearing Dumbledore’s name sparks that rage still simmering in her stomach. Connects with the thought that she will  _ never _ see Ron and Harry again and again, it’s as if she never stopped burning. As if that blue haze never truly left the world. 

Tasmine’s lips part, the red color so stark against her pale skin that Hermione finds herself following the movement of her mouth. 

“You’re glowing.” Tasmine mutters, leaning forward, brows furrowed. “Who  _ are _ you?”

Hermione blinks, trying to dispel the blue haze clinging to her vision. “It’s not really any of your concern who I am.” she mutters, staring down at her hands. She doesn’t look like she’s glowing to herself but she also can’t get the blue haze to leave her vision. 

Tasmine’s laugh draws Hermione’s gaze again. Her laugh is sharp, nothing like the laugh that had left her mouth earlier. Earlier her laugh had sounded like church bells, now it sounds like a snarl. The blue haze is slowly fading and the stark red of Tasmine’s lips coming back into focus. 

“It is very much my concern who you are.” Tasmine says, voice pleasant, lip curled. “You know who I am and  _ that _ is a problem.” 

“I don’t particularly care about your problems.” she says, slowly eases her way onto her knees. She really fucking hope that Tasmine doesn’t try to start anything because Merlin, her body aches so badly. “I have other things to see to that don’t involve you.” she takes a deep breath and slowly, slowly eases to her feet. She stands there for a moment, just focusing on breathing through the pain. She must have hit the ground harder than she thought because her entire body doesn’t just ache, it burns. 

“Things like killing Dumbledore?” Tasmine asks, voice dry. She’s closed her book and is staring at Hermione, head tilted, eyes narrowed. 

Hermione hums quietly, still focused on breathing. She’s going to have to go hide out in the room of requirement for a bit before she can fight or kill anyone. She’d love to have a chat with whoever the being is that dropped her here. Couldn’t they have dropped her a little softer?

“You don’t look like you could kill a fly right now.” Tasmine says, voice cutting through Hermione’s thoughts again. She’s stood up and is leaning against the tree, book held loosely in her hand. 

“Shove it, Riddle. I’m fine. I’m just going to go now.” she mutters, taking a deep breath and attempting to brace herself for how much walking was going to hurt. 

Tasmine raises a single eyebrow, skepticism clear on her face. Well, Hermione was going to show her. Breath in, one step forward. Sure it felt like a thousand needles pricking her everywhere but she was fine. Breath out, another step forward. Yes, she was biting her lip so hard it she might break the skin but  _ she was fine _ . Breath in, one step for--

She trips, yelps and would have landed on her face this time except that arms are suddenly around her waist, holding her up. 

“For Merlin’s sake. Do you not know how to ask for help?” Tasmine hisses, face entirely too close to Hermione’s. 

“You’re one to talk,” Hermione hisses back. “Do you even know what the word means?” 

“You sure do seem to think you know a lot about me?” Tasmine says, eyes narrowed. 

This close Hermione can see flecks of gold in her blue eyes. Can see the freckles dusted over her cheeks. Can see the small mole hidden next to her left ear. Hermione says nothing, bites her tongue and refuses to speak. They stare at each other, eyes narrowed. 

To an outsider it would be a strange scene. Tasmine’s arms looped around Hermione’s waist, the main thing still holding her up. Hermione’s hands held loosely at her side as she refuses to hold on, her feet barely holding her up. 

"Where exactly are you planning on going?" Tasmine asks, voice quiet, eyes intent on Hermione's face. 

"Like I said, it's really none of your business." Hermione mutters, feeling her face flush despite herself. She's not exactly overjoyed at the fact that she can't stand on her own. 

"However do you plan on getting to wherever you're going if you can't even stand on your own?" Tasmine asks, voice amused. 

Hermione glares. She doesn't like the smirk hanging on Tasmine's lips. Doesn't like the way her eyes lit up. Doesn't like this situation. Doesn't particularly like anything that's happened in the last hour. Doesn't like where this situation is going because Tasmine is right. She can barely hold herself up. Can barely fucking walk without feeling like her body is going to burst into flames again. 

Keeps seeing blue flames behind her eyes. Keeps seeing Dumbledore staring at her, face cold and calm as she screams on the office floor. 

"You're glowing again, darling." Tasmine murmurs, voice almost awed. 

Hermione blinks up at her and yeah, that god forsaken blue haze is clouding her vision again. She takes a deep breath, lets herself bring her hands up to encircle Tasmine's wrists. 

"Okay, fine. I guess I need help." she mutters, hating the way her mind instinctively flashes to Harry, Ron, to the betrayal that she's sure would be lighting up their eyes at her words. 

Tasmine snickers, eyes lit up with triumph. "It took you long enough to admit it. I suppose I could help you." 

"Would you just, shut up and help me get inside the castle without anyone seeing me." 

"Oh calm down, darling." she says dismissively, reaching into her pocket for her wand. 

"Also, stop calling me 'darling'." She grits out, resisting the urge to grind her teeth. She had never given into the habit before and she certainly wasn't going to let Tasmine bloody Riddle drive her to it. 

"Well what else am I supposed to call you when you still haven't told me your name?" 

Hermione can almost hear the smirk in her voice. Can almost hear the triumph. 

"I don't think you need to know my name to help me." 

"Perhaps not, darling. Perhaps not." she smirks down at Hermione. 

Hermione glares back, already feeling her blood beginning to burn again. She can't decide if her blood has always burned like this when she was angry or if she is only know noticing. Now that she knows what it's like to have fire burn through her veins. 

"Fine." she spits, lip curled in a mockery of a smile. "My name is Hermione Granger and I am here to burn Albus Dumbledore in his own office." 

Tasmine smiles, a bright happy thing that does not fit the situation. "Hermione Granger." she repeats. Rolls the name around her tongue as if she's savoring it. "You and I are going to be such great friends." 

.

.

.

.

They somehow make it to the seventh floor without being caught by anyone. Hermione feels as if she's going to faint at any moment. She's not sure if it's because of how badly her body hurts or because she was flung into what seems like a completely different dimension. Either way she still kind of wants to scream at whatever being it was that dropped her here. They really couldn't have dropped here gently?

"What exactly are we doing in front of this painting? I thought you had a plan?" Tasmine asks, voice flat. 

She'd mostly carried Hermione all the way up the stairs and even with a feather light charm on her, that was still a lot of stairs. Hermione had tried to walk a few times but it had just slowed them down. 

"It's not the painting we're here for. I need to walk in front of the opposite wall three times." she mutters, knowing how that sounded to someone who had never seen the room. 

Tasmine stares at her for a moment, eyes bright with scorn. "Of course you do. What else would I expect from the girl who fell from the sky."

"You're the one who wanted to help me. I didn't ask for your fucking help." she snarls back. 

She hums in acknowledgement. "Do you need to actually walk in front of the wall on your own?" she asks, staring down at Hermione skeptically. 

It would certainly be easier if she could do it on her own. She knows what she wants the room to look like. Although, she's not sure if the room will get confused if they both walk in front of it. 

"No, " she sighs. "No, you can do it. You just have to walk in front of the wall three times and really focus on what you want the room to look like." 

Tasmine stares at her skeptically before sighing. Hermione thinks she mutters something under her breath but she can't be sure what. She sets Hermione carefully on the floor, making sure she's steady against the wall before carefully walking back and forth. Her eyebrows creased, hands balled into fists. 

She has so many questions for this girl who shares a name with Tom Riddle. For this girl who by all rights should have left Hermione lying on the ground. None of this fits into what she knows of Tom Riddle. Fits into what Harry has told her of the childhood memories he's seen of Riddle. She wants to know if this girl is just acting, because she thinks Hermione is useful. Or if this world is truly so different that Tasmine Riddle is a completely different person. 

The door appears. Tasmine stares at it for a moment, eyes wide and then laughs. The laugh sounds the same as the one from when Hermione had looked at her and spit out the words 'I hate you'. Sounds like church bells and the organ echoing off the roof of the cathedral. Like someone took something holy and stuffed it down her throat. 

Tasmine turns, eyes still wide with glee and freezes as soon as she looks at Hermione. 

“You look at me as if you’re expecting to see someone else.” she murmurs, head tilted. “As if you’re waiting for me to say something and I never do.”

She snorts, slides down the wall. “Don’t take it personally. I imagine I’ll be looking at everyone like that.” 

“No. This is different.” Tasmine says, head tilted, eyes steady on Hermione’s face. “You’re looking at me but it’s like you’re not seeing me. It’s like you’re looking at me and seeing someone else’s face.” she pauses, licks her lips. The red of her lips catches Hermione’s eye. The slickness of them and the way they quirk at the corners. 

“How could I see anyone but you?” Hermione hears herself mutter, eyes still focused on the red. On the way they seem to be taunting her. 

“My eyes are up here, darling.” Tasmine murmurs, voice low and pleased. 

Her eyes snap up to meet Tasmine’s and she feels herself flush. 

“I told you to stop calling me that.” she snaps, trying to pull herself back up. She needs to focus on why she’s here. Not on this girl that shares his name. 

“You did.” Tasmine agrees, moving over to help stand. “I’ve decided to ignore you.” 

She rolls her eyes, tries to ignore Tasmine’s hand low on her hip. On how tightly she’s gripping. On the viciously pleased light that she’s staring at Hermione with. 

“Let’s just get in the room before someone sees us.” she mutters. Hopefully her strength comes back soon. 

“”Whatever you say,  _ darling _ .” Tasmine murmurs, voice low, breath warm against Hermione’s neck.

Because she’s not sure how long she can handle dealing with this absolutely maddening girl. 


End file.
